Ngurdotto Crater Hike

The beautiful Ngurdotto Crater on Mt. Meru is popularly referred to as ‘little Ngorongoro’ due to her stunning form and beauty. Created by volcanic activity many years ago, the 3.6km wide crater is surrounded by beautiful thick montane forest vegetation and walls dropping 100m down to a swampy floor inhabited by buffaloes and possibly elephants has just recently been opened for hiking by tourists.

After breakfast in Arusha, transfer to Arusha National Park’s Momella Gate for registration then join your National Park guide and an armed ranger for an all-day hiking/trekking tour on the Ngurdotto Crater reaching up to 1850m with picnic lunches. En-route, learn about the mountain, different altitudinal rocks and soils, vegetation and wildlife. The routing, halfway around the crater rim through thick montane forest vegetation with occasional stunning views down to the crater floor is exhilarating with birds, animal footprints. You enjoy your picnic lunches somewhere in a clearing with expansive views then slowly descend, with more sightseeing, back to base where your driver/guide will be waiting to transfer you back to Arusha late afternoon.